One can argue that AI reflects the society (e. g. in order to make good decisions or sell products), so would, at most, double the sentience in the world. Furthermore, today, many individuals (including humans not considered in decisionmaking, not profitable to reach, or without the access to electricity, and non-human animals, especially wild ones) are not considered by AI systems. Thus, any possible current and prospective AI’s contribution to sentience is limited.
It is very unclear how many digital minds we should expect, but it is conceivable that in the long run they will greatly outnumber us. The reasons we have to create more human beings—companionship, beneficence, having a legacy—are reasons we would have to create more digital minds. We can fit a lot more digital minds on Earth than we can humans. We could more easily colonize other planets with digital minds. For these reasons, I think we should be open to the possibility that most future minds will be digital.
Unintentional creation of necessary suffering AI that would not reflect the society but perceive relatively independently is the greatest risk. For example, if AI really hates selling products in a way that in consequence and in the process reduces humans’ wellness, or if it makes certain populations experience low or negative wellbeing otherwise.
It strikes me as less plausible that we will have massive numbers of digital minds that unintentionally suffer while performing cognitive labor for us. I’m skeptical that the most effective ways to produce AI will make them conscious, and even if it does it seems like a big jump from phenomenal experience to suffering. Even if they are conscious, I don’t see why we would need a number of digital minds for every person. I would think that the cognitive power of artifical intelligence means we would need rather few of them, and so the suffering they experience, unless particularly intense, wouldn’t be particularly significant.
The reasons we have to create more human beings—companionship, beneficence, having a legacy—are reasons we would have to create more digital minds.
Companionship and beneficence may motivate the creation of a few digital minds (being surrounded by [hundreds of] companions exchanging acts of kindness may be preferred by relatively few) while it is unclear about leaving a legacy: if one has the option to reflect themselves in many others, will they go for numbers, especially if they can ‘bulk’ teaching/learning.
Do you think that people will be interested in mere reflection or getting the best of themselves (and of others) highlighted? If the latter, then presumably wellbeing in the digital world would be high, both due to the minds’ abilities to process information in a positive way and their virtuous intentions and skills.
I’m skeptical that the most effective ways to produce AI will make them conscious, and even if it does it seems like a big jump from phenomenal experience to suffering.
If emotional/intuitive reasoning is the most effective and this can be imitated by chemical reactions, commercial AI can be suffering.
Even if they are conscious, I don’t see why we would need a number of digital minds for every person. I would think that the cognitive power of artifical intelligence means we would need rather few of them, and so the suffering they experience, unless particularly intense, wouldn’t be particularly significant.
Yes, that would be good if any AI that is using a lot of inputs to make decisions/create content etc does not suffer significantly. However, since a lot of data of many individuals can be processed, then if the AI is suffering, this experiences can be intense.
If there is an AI that experiences intense suffering (utility monster) but makes the world great, should it be created?
It is very unclear how many digital minds we should expect, but it is conceivable that in the long run they will greatly outnumber us. The reasons we have to create more human beings—companionship, beneficence, having a legacy—are reasons we would have to create more digital minds. We can fit a lot more digital minds on Earth than we can humans. We could more easily colonize other planets with digital minds. For these reasons, I think we should be open to the possibility that most future minds will be digital.
It strikes me as less plausible that we will have massive numbers of digital minds that unintentionally suffer while performing cognitive labor for us. I’m skeptical that the most effective ways to produce AI will make them conscious, and even if it does it seems like a big jump from phenomenal experience to suffering. Even if they are conscious, I don’t see why we would need a number of digital minds for every person. I would think that the cognitive power of artifical intelligence means we would need rather few of them, and so the suffering they experience, unless particularly intense, wouldn’t be particularly significant.
Companionship and beneficence may motivate the creation of a few digital minds (being surrounded by [hundreds of] companions exchanging acts of kindness may be preferred by relatively few) while it is unclear about leaving a legacy: if one has the option to reflect themselves in many others, will they go for numbers, especially if they can ‘bulk’ teaching/learning.
Do you think that people will be interested in mere reflection or getting the best of themselves (and of others) highlighted? If the latter, then presumably wellbeing in the digital world would be high, both due to the minds’ abilities to process information in a positive way and their virtuous intentions and skills.
If emotional/intuitive reasoning is the most effective and this can be imitated by chemical reactions, commercial AI can be suffering.
Yes, that would be good if any AI that is using a lot of inputs to make decisions/create content etc does not suffer significantly. However, since a lot of data of many individuals can be processed, then if the AI is suffering, this experiences can be intense.
If there is an AI that experiences intense suffering (utility monster) but makes the world great, should it be created?